Electric switch.



No. 823,073. PATENTED JUNE l2, 1906. W. J. OLEARY & W. COCNAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

JIPPLIGATION FILED MGA, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

InventorsI ML/Lam balza/L @7M-M Attorneys Wwf No. 823,073. PATENTED JUNE l2, 1906Y W. J. CLEARY & W. COONAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUGA., 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIHIIII IHHIIII mmh du! lllll IVW g Hulnmllll 'u Inventors,

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

WlLLl'AM JOSEPH OLEARY AND WILLIAM COONAN, OF MONTREAL, CANADA, ASSIGNORS TO W. J. OLEARY & COMPANY, OF MON- TREAL, CANADA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application led August 4I Letters Patent.

1904. Seria] No. 219.435.

atented June 12, 1906.

fr) all whom, it may/concern,.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM JOSEPH OLEARY and WILLIAM CooNAN, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city and district of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip- 1 .tion

of the invention, such as will enable oth ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic electric switches and circuit-breakers whereby the electric circuit in the conductors is automatically broken when one or both of the conductors is charged with a higher electrical potential than that which they are no i to carry; and it consists in ce. unf novelty in detail construction am: op 1ation, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and definitely set forth in thev claims.

The object of our inventionL is to provide a device of the character described wherein there is provided a cushion-contact on the circuit-closing members, thereby assuring a good close contact with the terminal poles.

A further object is to provide an automatic releasing mechanism for throwing the ci'rcuitclosing contacts out of engagement with the terminals when an electric current of a potential higher than the normal passes through one or both of the conducting-wires.

A still further object is to provide inclosed spark-gaps, which will prevent the accumulation of dust or other conducting material between the terminals of the spark gap which might accidentally establish a current which would release the locking mechanism and open the switch.

In the annexed drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding arts in all the views, Figure 1 is a general ront view of the improved device, showing parts broken away to better illustrate the details of construction. 4 Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow and shows a switch in an open position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the locking mechanism of the device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a part of the device. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical view of the electrical connections, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental detail view.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the base or bed plate of the device, which `may be made of any suitable insulating material-such as marble, slate, tc-and attached to this plate are the contact-posts 3, 4, 5, and and the lugs 7 and 8, to pivotally attached the circuit-closing frame 9, includingthe arms l0 and 11, which are pivotally connected at the lugs 7 and 8, respectively. The said arms 1,() and 11 are rigidly connected near their upper end by the cross-rod 12, of any suitable insulating material, the ends of which engage in recesses 13 upon the web of the arms 10 and 11 and are held therein by means of the screws 14,which engage the threaded plugs 15, which are secured in the ends of the said cross-rod 12. (See Figs. 1 and 6.)

The inner or contactin'g surfaces of the arms 10 and 11 areprovided with a resilient, and preferably an electric conducting fabric 16, which may be of woven wire or net or of any suitable material, and in front of this resilient material 1 6 are placed thin iexible strips of electric conductlng material 17, and the whole is held on the arms by means of the strip 18, secured to the said arms by the screws 19 and the end pieces 20 and 21.

Pivotally attached between the arms 10 and 11, as at 2,2, is a cross-piece 23, of any suitable insulating material, provided with a handle or knob 24, which is held thereon by means of the screw 25, and the said screw also holds u Jon the said cross-piece 23 a depending locking member 26, formed at its upper end with a projecting lip 27 and at its lower end with a hooked portion 28 and locking-tooth 29. The upper projecting lip 27 of the locking member 26 is adapted to engage with the head of the screw 30, secured in the upper end `of the plate 31% which is attached to the base-plate 1 by means of the screws 32'LL and 33a. The screw 30 is provided with a circular shank 31 and a narrower threaded portion 32, which engage in the recess 33 and threaded portion 34, respectively. This construction admits of the proper adjustment of the screw 30, and the same is securely locked which is IOO ' when in engagement with 'in its proper position by means of the locking-screw 35. The locking-tooth 29 of the locking member 26 is adapted'to engage with the cleat 36, which latter is secured to the armature-plate 37 'of a magnet 38, and the said armature-plate 37 and its attached cleat 36 locking member 26, as shown in Fig. dotted linesin Fig. 2, serves to kee the proj ecting lip 27 in engagement with t e head of the screw 30, -and thereby lock the contacts in their Aoperative position. The adjustable stop or locking means 3() permits any necessary ordesired adjustment of the pressure of the circuit-closing frame against the terminals. It will be noted that y the lower catch or tooth 29, carried by the locking means, is arranged at a much greater distance from the pivotal sup ort 22 of said means than is the uppercatc 27. By this construction the catch 27 will be held very firmly against its stop 31 by comparatively slight pressure of the catch 29 against the cleat 36, carried by the armature-plate 37, thereby minimiz,u ing the frictional resistance opposed to the movement of said armature-plate. i

The magnet 38 comprises two spools connected in series, which spools are secured te the lower end of the plate 31a, and the armature-plate 37 is pivotallyconnected to the lower end of the plate 31a by means of the pins 39, which are locked by means Vof setscrews 40, which pass through the lower portion of the plate 31a. The said armatureplate 37 rests when out-of engagement with the locking member or the magnet upon a projecting ledge or plate 41, secured to the extreme lower end of the plate 31a by means of the screws 42. The said late 41 is formed with a stop 41a to limit t e inward movement of hook 28.

ySecured to the plate 1 below the pivotal connections 7 and 8 are the blocks 43, to which are attached the spring-jaws 44, which are adapted to engage the lower ends 45 of the contacting arms 1() and 11when the circuit-closing frame is thrown back out of engagement with' the terminals of the switch. The said jaws 44 are formed of resilient material, which serves tol gradually stop the To altherebetween, the outer ends ofthe said jaws are slightly curved outward-ly, as at 46, so that the eXtreme opening is slightly larger than the thickness of the arm at the point of engagement.

Secured to the plate 1 are the higheresistance mediums 47 and 48, comprising the s ring-arms 49, which are secured to the b ocks 50, said latter being suitably attached to the plate '1. (See Fig. 4.) Uponthe outer ends ofthe said arms 49 terminal blocks 51, and interposedbetween the said terminal blocks and securely'held the tooth 29 of the i 3 and by are carried vthe therebetween by the pressure of the springarms 49 are the insulating disks or plates 52, which are formed with a central opening 53. The said insulating disk 52 is preferably made of mica butvany other form of-insulating material would answer.

Secured to the late 1 is an insulated binding-post 54, to w iich is attached a grounded electric conductor 55, and this binding-post is connected to the magnet windings by means of the wire 56, (see Figs. 1 and 5,) which passes through. the plate 31a and is insulated therefrom by means of the insulating-tube 57.

The conductors 58 and 59 connect themagnet-windings with one block 51 of eachof the hi h-resistance mediums 47 and I48. The

-ot er blocks of the high-resistance mediums 47 and 48 are connected, by meansV of the wires 60 and 61, to the terminals 4 and 5, respectively. To the terminals 3 and 4 are connected the ends of a conductor 62, and to the terminals 5 and 6 are connected the ends of they conductor 63. 62 and 63 are the main conductors and carry the electrical iiuid from its source of supply to its point of application.

The conductors connecting the terminals with the high-resistance mediums, the said mediums with the magnets, and the magnets with the ground connection are run in suitable grooves or recesses formed upon the back of theplate 1 for that purpose. A

Inthe drawings I have shown the switch provided with non-sparking members 64 and 65a. The non-sparking members 64 are carried by fiat springs 65, secured to the arms 10 and 11 by means ,of screws 66. The members 652L are secured to the contact-blocks 3 by means of screws66. The spring-supports 65 facili tate the swing or throw of the contact-arms 10 '11 upon release of the locking mechanism of the switch. i

In the` operation of this device the ends ot the conductor 62 are connected to the ter# minals 3 and 4 and the ends ofthe conductor 63 to the terminals 5 and 6,.as shown in Fig. 1, and'when the conductors are carrying an electric fluid a complete circuit is established by bringing the contacting arms 10 and 11 of the circuit-closing frame in contact with the terminal blocks, as shown by dotted lines in Fi 2. The said contacting arms and circult-closing frame are held in the position indicated by the dotted lines by means of the locking member 26, the projecting lip thereof engaging under the head of the screw 30 and being locked in such position through the engagement of the hooked end 29 with the cleat 36 upon the armature-plate 37 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In this position the contacting surfaces of the arms are held in engagement with the terminals, thereby completing the electric circuit. When, however,

the potential of the current is increased be- The said conductors,

IOO

IIO

vond normal in either one or both of the conductors, a short circuit is established through the spark-gap 53 and the magnet 38, thereby energizing said magnet and attracting the armature-plate 37 thereto, thus releasing the locking member 26 from engagement with the cleat 36 and causing release of the lip 27 from the head of the screw 30 and allowing the circuit-closing frame with its contactarms to drop by gravity out of engagement with the terminals, as indicated by full lines in Fig. .2. When but one wire is overcharged, the short circuit is established from the terminal block of that particular wire through its resistance medium, thence throughy the conductor 56 to the binding-post 54 and ground-wire 55, energizing one coil of the lmagnet, thereby attracting the armaturepla-te 37 and releasing the locking mechanism,.as heretofore stated. The operation of the resistance mediums 47 and 48 is as follows: When an electric current of normal potential is i'iowing through the main conductors, the flow of electricity from either conductor to the said resistance medium will be only as far as one ofthe blocks 51. The only communication with the opposite block of the resistance medium is through the inclosed gap or chamber 53 and by means of an arc across the said gap. This arc, however, can only be produced when'a flow of electricity ol' a potential higher than normal is established through one or both of the conductors. The arc thus established completes the circuit across this gap and energizes the magnet to release the looking mechanism. When but one conductor is overcharged-as, for instance, the conductor 62-the short circuit will be, established through the conductor 60, across the gap of the resistance medium 47, through the conductor 58, through one of the coils ofthe magnet 38, through the conductor 56 to the binding-post 54 and groundwire 55, thereby completing a circuit which will energize the magnet. When the other conductor 63 is overcharged, the short cir- ,cuit is established through the conductor 61, 'resistance medium 48, conductor 59, through the other coil of khe magnet, and thence through the conductor 56 to the bindingpost and ground-wire 55. When, however, both conductors 62 and 63 are charged with a higher potential than normally, short eircuits will be established from said two conductors through their corresponding resistaut mediums and through the magnet-coils and wire to the earth, thereby energizing the magnet and causing release of the lock- ;ing mechanism.

While we have shown in the accompanying d rawings the preferred form of our invention, il will be understood that we do notlimit ourselves to the precise 'form shown, for many ol' the details may be changed in form or polsition without ali'ecting the operativeness or utility of our invention, and we therefore reserve the right to make all such modifications as are included within the scope of the following claims or of mechanical equivalents to the structures set forth.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, a gravity-actuated frame pvotally mounted'thereon, a pivotally-supported locking member, and locking means carried by said bed-plate in position to engage the respective ends of said pivoted locking member, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, a gravity-actuated frame pivotally mounted thereon, a locking member pivotally connected to said frame and provided with catches at its respective ends, and locking means carried by the bed-plate in position to engage said catches, substantially as described.

3. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, a gravity-actuated frame pivotally mounted thereon, a locking member pivotally secured to said frame and provided with catches at its respective ends, a fixed member carried by the frame in position to engage one of said catches, and a movable member carried by said lframe in position to engage the other of said catches, substantiazlly as described.

4. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, a gravity-actuated frame pivotally mounted thereon, a locking member pivotally secured to said frame and provided with catches at its respective ends, a fixed member adjustably carried by the frame in position to en age one of said catches, and a movable mem er carried by said frame in position to engage the other of said catches, substantially as described.

5. In an electrieswitch, the combination of abcd-plate, a gravity-actuated frame pivotally mounted thereon, a locking member pivotally connected to said frame and provided With catches at its respective ends, an adjustable means carried by said frame in position to engage'one of said catches, an armature-plate carried by said bed-plate for engagement with the other of said catches,'and a magnet for actuating said armature-plate, substantially as described.

6. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, a gravity-actuated frame pivotally mounted thereon, a locking member pivotally connectedto said frame, a gravity actuated armature-plate arranged to loc ingly engage said pivoted locking member, a magnet for actuating said armature-plate, a Stop arranged to limit the movement of said armature-plate and provided with means'for limiting the swing of said pivoted locking member, substantially as described.

TOO

IOS

IIO

7. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, circuit-terminals electrically insulated on said bed-plate, a gravityeactuated frame pivotally mounted on the bedplate, electric conducting members carried by said pivot'ed frame and adapted to complete the` circuit between said circuit-terminals, a locking member pivotally connected to said rame, and locking means carried by the bed-plate in position to engage the respective ends of said pivoted locking member, substantially as described.

8. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, circuit-terminals electrically insulated on said bed-plate, agravity-actuated frame pivotally mounted on the bedplate, electric conducting members resiliently supported on said pivoted frame and adapted to complete the circuit between'said circuitterminals, a locking member pivotally connected to said frame, and locking means carried by the bed-plate inposition to engage y 82eme the respective ends of said pivoted locking member, substantially as described. 9. In an electric switch, the combination of a bed-plate, circuit-terminals electrically insulated on said bed-plate, a gravity-actuated frame pivotally mounted on the bedplate, ilexible contacts carried by said pivoted frame, and adapted to complete the circuit between said circuit-terminals, a locking member pivotally connected to said frame, and locking means carried by the bed-plate in position to engage the respective ends of said pivoted'locking member, substantially as described. l

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM JOSEPH OLEARY. WILLIAM COONAN.

Witnesses:

S. S. SUGAR, FREDERICK H. GrBBs. 

